Several years long this miniature was thought to be a portrait of well-known Russian aristocrat, Count Petr Borisovich Sheremetev (1713-1787). Nevertheless, in November of 2017 we received e-mail from renowned St.Peterburg historian Michael Asvarishch, in which the latter informed us that in reality it is a portrait of Courlandian Statesman, Hofgerichtspresident (President of the Court of Duchy Courland (now Latvia)) Baron Heinrich Christian von Offenberg (1696-1781). Mr, Asvarishch also said our miniature is probably a copy after certain (lost?) life portrait of this man. This lost portrait was also used in late 18thj century by famous German sculptor Gottfried Schadow as a base for his marble buste of H. Chr. von Offenberg (see our image nr.9). Known is also another represantation of this Baltic aristocrat - his life portrait by Mitau artist Leonhard Schorer (1715-1777; see our images nr.10-11); indisputably we see the same person!Our image nr.12 provides biography of Baron von Offenberg.

Our miniature is signed:"Caroline d. Ottenberg" Neither a lady (Karoline von Ottenberg?) nor female artist with this name is to find in all possible sources, including Google..But what is if we read the signature incorrectly and the surname of the artist is Offenberg (double "f" instead double "t")?. In this case we have a very plausible version: author of this miniature was a woman from Offenberg family who copied aforementioned lost portrait. And in reality, at the begin of 19th century, in Courland lived Baroness Karoline Henriette Christina von Offenberg (1786-1857; see our image nr.13). If we are right and she is the artist, it means she executed this miniature in early 19th century.